Senior Purchasing Lead (Hands-On)
Burbank, California**
The RoleWe are looking for a
Senior Purchasing Lead who is not just strategic, but deeply
hands-on-someone who rolls up their sleeves, owns the details, and directly drives purchasing execution across complex, custom-built projects.
You will personally manage critical закуп decisions, lead negotiations, build supplier partnerships, and ensure materials hit the floor on time and on cost. This is not a passive leadership role-this is a
player-coach position embedded in the day-to-day flow of engineering and production.
You will oversee approximately
$30M in annual spend, spanning metals, machined components, electronics, pumps, and specialized equipment.
What You'll Actually Do- Own purchasing execution end-to-end: sourcing, quoting, negotiating, issuing POs, and tracking delivery on critical path items
- Personally negotiate high-impact buys, cost reductions, and long-term agreements with key suppliers
- Work side-by-side with engineering and fabrication teams to understand specs, tolerances, and build requirements before sourcing
- Drive supplier performance-quality, lead time, responsiveness-and intervene directly when issues arise
- Build and maintain a high-performing, reliable supplier network (domestic and international)
- Analyze should-cost models and challenge pricing with data, not assumptions
- Identify risk early (long lead items, single-source suppliers, volatile materials) and proactively mitigate
- Improve purchasing processes, systems, and visibility-no black boxes, no surprises
- Lead and mentor a small team of buyers while staying directly involved in the work
What Success Looks Like- Materials arrive on time, every time-no production delays due to purchasing gaps
- Measurable cost improvements without sacrificing quality or reliability
- Strong, accountable supplier relationships-not transactional, but performance-driven
- Clear visibility into spend, risks, and timelines across all projects
- A purchasing function that is trusted, responsive, and deeply integrated with engineering and production
What You Bring- 10+ years in purchasing/supply chain, with strong experience in manufacturing or engineered products
- Proven track record of personally negotiating and closing complex закуп deals
- Deep familiarity with metals, machining, electronics, and mechanical systems
- Ability to read drawings, understand specs, and engage technically with engineers
- Strong cost analysis skills-comfortable breaking down pricing and challenging assumptions
- Experience operating in fast-moving, custom, project-based environments (not just high-volume production)
- Leadership experience, with a willingness to stay hands-on in day-to-day execution
- Proficiency with ERP/procurement systems (QuickBooks or similar)
Why This Role MattersAt WET, purchasing is not a back-office function-it is a
core driver of whether our ideas become reality.
The right person in this role will directly impact our ability to build faster, smarter, and more creatively-while maintaining the quality and precision our projects demand.
If you want to
own decisions, move fast, and be close to the work, this is that role.
